The Epoch of Miyu

Xu Miyu forcefully broke free from Duan Aoxiang's grip.

Duan Aoxiang immediately acted as if nothing had happened, cheerfully laughing and urging everyone to clink teacups in celebration as if they were toasting with wine.

Xu Miyu retreated to the side, looking down at her reddened wrist and secretly massaging it gently.

Duan Aoxiang had truly used enough force earlier as if he wished to crush her to death.

After finishing their tea, the three parties warmly shook hands again, presenting a picture of perfect harmony and satisfaction.

The contentment on Ji Feng and Prayut's faces might have been genuine, but the broader Duan Aoxiang smiled, the more thoroughly he seethed with hatred inside.

He truly felt like strangling Xu Miyu.

His well-laid plan, seamless enough to mock Ji Feng and leave a permanent stain on his reputation in their circle, ensuring he could no longer look down on Duan Aoxiang with his nose in the air—all of it had been perfectly calculated.

He imagined scenes at banquets and gatherings where people in their circle would chat over drinks: "Have you heard? That arrogant Ji Feng was played by Duan Aoxiang."

Such a scenario would have been utterly delightful to Duan Aoxiang, enough to make him laugh in his dreams.

This should have been achievable. He had calculated everything meticulously, almost like a master strategist.

When he heard that Ji Feng wanted to expand his business into Southeast Asia, he immediately recalled that Ji Feng had studied or traveled in many countries like Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.S., the U.K., and France, and could speak their languages. The only exception was Thailand—Ji Feng had never been there and naturally didn't know the language. In that instant, a plan to make Ji Feng suffer took root in Duan Aoxiang's mind.

He painstakingly found a property that met Ji Feng's requirements, spending money, time, and effort to connect with Prayut, step by step bringing the matter to this point.

His scheme to humiliate Ji Feng was on the verge of success. Who could have predicted that at the last moment, this meddlesome woman would appear? She actually knew Thai and had the audacity to expose him right to his face.

Because of this woman's interference, not only did he fail to gain any advantage or succeed in his mockery, but he also had to waste additional effort. All his previous hard work instantly became futile, making him feel like a fool who had wasted both time and money.

Thinking of this, Duan Aoxiang gritted his teeth in fury, yet he had to maintain a facade of joy for having facilitated a business deal.

He even began to regret his earlier arrogance and carelessness—why hadn't he postponed revealing his plan to swindle Ji Feng out of twenty million until after the fact? That would have minimized the risk of failure.

But he had been too eager to relish the thrill of mocking Ji Feng to his face. In the end, this desire backfired, leaving him to suffer the consequences.

And all of it was because of that woman!

If not for her, Duan Aoxiang wouldn't have to swallow his pride and bitterness while pretending to be happy. He had never played a game where he lost money and had to endure such humiliation!

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Duan Aoxiang had no intention of letting Xu Miyu off so easily. He asked his assistant A Ni to take Prayut to the living room first, saying he would stay behind for a few words before joining them to celebrate at the party.

After A Ni led the others away, Duan Aoxiang asked Ji Feng with a grin, "Old Ji, how about having a drink together before you leave?"Ji Feng's reply was as expected: "No, I have no tolerance for alcohol. You know I can't handle more than one glass of anything besides red wine. You can toast Prayut on my behalf. I'm heading back first."

With that, he prepared to leave.

Xu Miyu quietly followed behind him and Xue Rui, intending to slip away with them.

How could Duan Aoxiang let Xu Miyu retreat so easily? He immediately called out to stop her.

"You!" He pointed at Xu Miyu, still wearing a smile, though it was filled with icy malice. "Yes, you. You can't leave. My suite is in disarray right now. You need to clean it up before you go." He then turned to Ji Feng and said, "Old Ji, you go ahead then. Come on, let me see you out!"

He enthusiastically moved to sling an arm over Ji Feng's shoulder.

Ji Feng subtly sidestepped, avoiding the gesture.

Upon hearing that Duan Aoxiang intended to keep her there, Xu Miyu immediately felt a surge of fear. She could clearly sense that once Ji Feng left today, staying behind would mean serious trouble for her.

Her heart began to race with panic, and she glanced at Ji Feng, seeking help, but he offered no response.

Her heart sank, feeling as if her death had arrived decades early.

But in the next moment, she suddenly heard Ji Feng say in his measured tone, "Now that you mention it, I recall that the bathroom in my suite also needs tidying up. You know I don't have a butler assigned to me—Xue Rui usually helps with that, but he's busy today. So, why don't you lend her to me for a bit?" He pointed at Xu Miyu. "After all, you still have your suite butler here to help you clean up."

His use of "after all" preemptively blocked any excuse Duan Aoxiang might have had to refuse—such as "But I need someone too."

Duan Aoxiang had no choice but to nod repeatedly, forcing a smile as he said, "Sure, if you need her, of course you should have priority!" He spoke as if he were perfectly willing, but the frustration and suppressed anger were nearly enough to give him a stroke.

Xu Miyu quietly let out a long sigh of relief.

She followed Ji Feng out of Duan Aoxiang's luxurious suite and returned with him to the neighboring one.

Once inside, Xue Rui went to close the door, while Ji Feng walked over and sat down on the sofa. Xue Rui turned around, poured a glass of water, and placed it in Ji Feng's hand.

As he drank, Ji Feng said to Xu Miyu, who stood before him, "You did quite well today. You showed good judgment by not foolishly revealing in front of Duan Aoxiang that you and I had met before."

This was the first time Xu Miyu had heard even a hint of approval from this man, who had always shown her nothing but disdain and disgust. Though the praise tasted a bit odd, it was enough to surprise her into momentarily forgetting how to respond.

"Go on."

While she was still dazed, she suddenly heard Ji Feng revert to his usual cold, detached tone and utter two more words.

Xu Miyu bowed slightly, said, "Goodbye, Mr. Ji," and turned to walk toward the door.

"Stop."

Behind her was Ji Feng's cool voice, tinged with a slight upward inflection that carried a note of puzzlement.

Xu Miyu halted and turned around, noticing Ji Feng's scrutinizing gaze fixed on her face. She quickly walked back to her original spot.

"Mr. Ji, is there anything else you need?" she asked tentatively.Ji Feng raised an eyebrow slightly and said with indifference, "When I told you to come here, I meant for you to clean all the bathrooms in my suite." He paused, then raised his voice and asked, "Did you think I was just joking when I told you to come over from Duan Aoxiang's side to clean the bathrooms?"

No... otherwise? Xu Miyu thought.

—It turned out it wasn't an excuse to take her away but was actually true. This was something she hadn't expected.

Perhaps her face was too transparent, revealing her surprise too clearly.

Surprisingly, Ji Feng was willing to say a few more words to her, though he let out a derisive laugh first: "Do you believe that, given Duan Aoxiang's vengeful nature, he'll definitely find an excuse to come over here later to check whether you're really cleaning the bathrooms? If not, what do you think he'll do?"

A chill ran down Xu Miyu's spine. She was on the night shift tonight; even if she left here, she couldn't clock out—she had to work until midnight. If Duan Aoxiang discovered she was no longer in Ji Feng's suite during that time, he would surely find a way to reassign her, summoning her back to his own suite. By then, with his anger still simmering, she didn't dare imagine the humiliation and torment she might endure.

"Figured it out?" Ji Feng asked her.

Suppressing a shiver, Xu Miyu nodded.

"Then why are you still standing there like a fool? Waiting for me to show you the way?" Ji Feng frowned slightly, his voice tinged with impatience and disdain once more.

Xu Miyu quickly sprang into action, rushing to the nearest bathroom to start cleaning.

Xu Miyu worked diligently, immersing herself in the labor to temporarily set aside all her chaotic thoughts. When physical exertion consumed most of her energy, her mind had no room for wild imaginations, allowing her to briefly escape her worries.

After finishing one bathroom, she moved on to the next. She scrubbed the toilet until it gleamed like jade, the light reflecting off it in dazzling, colorful rays.

Amidst these cold, reflective glimmers, the memory of Duan Aoxiang's gaze from earlier that evening sent a shiver through her body.

He had warned her to wait and see.

Looking at the faint red marks on her wrist that hadn't fully faded, Xu Miyu felt a shudder of fear.

She fantasized that if she could avoid any direct confrontation with Duan Aoxiang tonight, by tomorrow his anger might subside, and he might remember his status as a distinguished guest and stop targeting her.

Just as she was lost in thought, she suddenly heard voices from the living room outside.

"Old Ji, my bathroom's occupied, so I'm borrowing yours!" a brash voice declared, ignoring any objection from Ji Feng, followed by reckless footsteps charging toward each bathroom.

As the footsteps drew nearer, Xu Miyu quickly lowered her head and continued scrubbing the already gleaming toilet.

The door behind her was suddenly shoved open. Xu Miyu took a deep breath before turning around, calmly addressing him, "Mr. Duan."

Duan Aoxiang's face twisted into a ferocious scowl upon seeing Xu Miyu. She had the fleeting illusion that he might pounce on her the next second, tearing her to pieces.

Xu Miyu had no idea how he intended to retaliate. She felt a pang of panic.

Fortunately, the next moment, Ji Feng's impatient and displeased voice called Duan Aoxiang away.

"Did you come here to use the bathroom or to count how many I have?"

Duan Aoxiang raised a hand to point at Xu Miyu, the message "wait and see" conveyed perfectly without a single word.Then he finally grew wary of Ji Feng's mood and left with a reluctant expression.

Hearing the footsteps fade away, Xu Miyu patted her chest and relaxed. She thought Ji Feng was truly formidable—he had accurately grasped Duan Aoxiang's personality and behavior. Duan Aoxiang had actually come to check whether she was really cleaning the bathroom.

Footsteps seemed to sound at the door again, this time gentle and refined, clearly not Duan Aoxiang's. Then, three sets of footsteps headed together toward one of the rooms.

Xu Miyu steadied her breathing again, left the cleaned bathroom, and went to the next one beside the study. Someone was in the study, so she tiptoed into the bathroom and closed the door quietly. She didn’t shut it completely, afraid the clicking sound might disturb those inside.

Through the slightly ajar bathroom door, Xu Miyu overheard the conversation in the study. She hadn’t intended to eavesdrop and knew it wasn’t proper, so she planned to turn on the faucet and let the running water drown out the voices.

But suddenly, her hand froze on the faucet.

She heard Ji Feng speaking Thai.

Ji Feng was speaking Thai.

And he spoke it with such standard pronunciation and fluency. The sounds flowed effortlessly from his tongue.

Ji Feng actually knew Thai!

Xu Miyu stood there motionless, stunned.

An unfamiliar voice also spoke in Thai, saying, "Mr. Ji, in the end, I must apologize. After all, I arrived late."

Ji Feng reassured him in Thai, "It’s alright. I’ve already explained that I moved the meeting time forward without informing you."

Then he added in Thai, "Later, I should have had my assistant notify you. Actually, you didn’t need to make a special trip here tonight."

The translator replied, "How could I do that? I received such a generous payment in advance. If I didn’t do any work and didn’t even show up, that would be inexcusable."

The translator then asked, "To be honest, Mr. Ji, your Thai is already excellent. You really don’t need a translator."

Ji Feng responded, "I’ve only been learning for a few months. Simple listening and speaking are fine, but when it comes to complex business expressions, it’s safer to have a translator by my side."

…

Whatever they said after that, Xu Miyu could no longer take in.

She stood frozen, her mind in chaos.

Ji Feng knew Thai. But he had acted as if he didn’t.

He had known all along about Duan Aoxiang’s tricks. He knew Duan Aoxiang wanted to mock him, but quietly, he was actually the one mocking Duan Aoxiang.

He had originally hired a translator, a Thai one at that. This would shut down any excuses from Duan Aoxiang—any information discrepancies between Chinese and Thai wouldn’t be due to the translator’s poor skills; Thai was the translator’s native language, so there couldn’t be any errors or ambiguities.

But he had deliberately kept the translator from coming.

If she hadn’t stepped forward and volunteered to Ji Feng to expose Duan Aoxiang’s schemes, wouldn’t it have been this translator who eventually revealed Duan Aoxiang’s deceit?

And now, the result was that Ji Feng didn’t even need the translator to step in—she had rushed forward on her own to offend Duan Aoxiang for him.

He would have had to bear some of the offense toward Duan Aoxiang—by hiring a translator, he would have seemed to distrust Duan Aoxiang.

Now, he didn’t even have to bear that slight offense. All the offending had been shouldered by her.Xu Miyu looked up at her reflection in the mirror above the sink.

She saw a woman with a livid face staring back. That was the moment she realized how foolish she had been—she was merely being used as a pawn.

She had thought she was being brave and resourceful for once. But in the end, she was nothing more than a tool in someone else’s hands. What a ridiculous existence she was, she thought.

Her body trembled uncontrollably, shivering from a chill she couldn’t suppress. She felt that Ji Feng, with his unreadable composure, was far more terrifying and intimidating than the furious, ferocious Duan Aoxiang.

So this was what the real world was like. Before this, she must have been living in a sheltered bubble, even at home.

The truth was, Ji Feng didn’t need her at all. She had assumed she was useful to him and even tried to negotiate with him, using that as leverage to get Zhang Cailu fired.

What a delusional joke.

Xu Miyu gripped the sink to steady her wavering body.

She told the livid-faced woman in the mirror, "Alright, wake up. He doesn’t actually need your help, so don’t expect him to honor the agreed-upon condition and get rid of Zhang Cailu."

Taking a deep breath, Xu Miyu forced herself to finish cleaning all the bathrooms in the luxury suite.

As she was leaving, she passed through the living room. The interpreter had already left at some point, and Ji Feng was sitting on the sofa, talking with Xue Rui.

It seemed he already knew that she was aware he could speak Thai. After all, if she could overhear their conversation from the bathroom next to the study, he could just as easily have heard her enter the bathroom.

He made no effort to lower his voice or hide his conversation from her. When his eyes briefly flickered in her direction, he showed no reaction and simply continued speaking.

"Such a shallow, childish trick, and he actually thought he could outsmart me. He must be out of his mind. If he hadn’t spent all his time abroad indulging in luxury and debauchery, he wouldn’t have come up with such a flawed scheme to try and fool me. That playboy brain of his can only produce tactics that are utterly laughable."

Xue Rui chuckled in agreement. "Exactly. Our company’s internal contract procedures are so rigorous. Just to accommodate Director Duan’s little farce, we had to bypass the legal department and reassure the director that skipping him wasn’t due to a lack of trust—it was just that this deal was a bit special. We really went through a lot of trouble! Not to mention wasting several precious evenings."

Ji Feng sneered. "I wasted my time playing along with him just to show him that those who try to play others will eventually get played themselves. If that property asset weren’t actually decent—something we could either develop ourselves for our expansion in Thailand or repackage and sell for a profit—I wouldn’t have bothered wasting my time on him."

Xue Rui nodded. "Absolutely."

Ji Feng picked up his glass, took an elegant sip of water, and said leisurely, "In the end, people need to have self-awareness. Otherwise, if they overestimate their own usefulness, they’ll only end up becoming a joke."

His words seemed pointed—partly directed at Duan Aoxiang, and partly at Xu Miyu.

Xu Miyu listened to his words numbly, bid a mechanical farewell, and mechanically returned to her own floor.

She replayed Ji Feng’s tone in her mind—so full of disdain. Whether it was Duan Aoxiang or her, in his eyes, they were both nothing more than jokes he had seen through long ago.While changing in the locker room, she thought self-mockingly: Could she still ask Ji Feng to fulfill the condition of getting the supervisor fired? Probably not. After all, everything she had done from start to finish was nothing but a joke in others' eyes.

Xu Miyu slept fitfully through the night, plagued by fragmented dreams. In each dream, a defeated version of herself struggled to pull herself together, yet none of the dreams reached a conclusion.

Waking up with layers of unresolved hopes, Xu Miyu felt even more dejected than before.

Forcing herself to get ready for work, she happened to receive a call from Jiao Xiumei while changing clothes.

Jiao Xiumei's voice, energized from a good night's rest, was shrill and direct from the early morning, launching straight into accusations and curses at Xu Miyu: "Xu Miyu, do my words mean nothing to you now? I told you to transfer money for your brother's mortgage, but you didn't. You don't even answer my calls half the time. Do you think you're something special now? Let me tell you, Third Daughter, no matter how high you think you've climbed, you still came out of my womb, and you can't escape my grasp!"

After catching her breath, Jiao Xiumei began her interrogation: "I ask you, what good is your money? Can it keep you warm at night or cook you rice? Aren't you afraid it'll grow moldy? Are you planning to hoard it until you die? Third Daughter, I'm laying it out for you now: I know you still have money. If you just give 200,000 to your brother now, I won't bother you every month about his loan payments. Your brother has finally found a potential wife, but her family is demanding 200,000 in bride price—not a penny less, or she won't marry. If you don't provide this money, you'll be the shame of the Xu family, forever indebted to your brother! If you let the Xu family line die out, I swear your father and I will haunt you as vengeful ghosts after we die!"

Xu Miyu listened irritably to Jiao Xiumei's tirade.

How could she prove that she truly had no money left?

She posed this question to Jiao Xiumei.

But Jiao Xiumei only raised her voice higher: "You lived with Nie Yucheng for all those years—he couldn't have left you with just that little. Even if you lost money on investments before, you must have other funds. Third Daughter, stop pretending to be poor with me. Your mother, Jiao Xiumei, can see right through you! You just need to be pushed—only when pressured will you cough up the money."

Xu Miyu felt she should have long grown accustomed to such a mother. So accustomed that the pain had become numb.

But when she touched her cheek, she realized she was still crying.

Feeling the wetness on her face, she was suddenly overwhelmed with grief. Standing before the locker, she wept silently, her body shaking with sobs.

Was there anyone left in this world who loved her? Her parents saw nothing in her and held no place for her in their hearts. Her siblings treated her as nothing more than a useful ATM. She once had a husband who loved her, but now he loved someone else. Even she herself despised her own clumsiness and foolish pride, especially after last night when she became the butt of everyone's jokes.

Even she had stopped loving herself. How was she supposed to go on living?She clutched her phone, nearly choking back sobs. She couldn't understand why Jiao Xiumei would relentlessly pressure her own flesh and blood daughter for the sake of another family's daughter demanding a 200,000-yuan bride price. Through tears, she asked Jiao Xiumei, "Are you really trying to push me to my death? Must you drive me to the brink for some other woman?"

Jiao Xiumei ignored her thick, tearful voice and raised her own voice even louder: "Third Child, stop with this death talk! I'm giving you one week. If you don't come up with this 200,000-yuan bride price for your brother, I'll go straight to your workplace in a week and die right in front of you!"

The call ended with Jiao Xiumei hanging up first, as if delivering a life-or-death ultimatum.

Xu Miyu felt suffocated by the ultimatum, struggling to breathe.

Leaning against the locker, she restrained herself for a long moment, gradually holding back her tears.

When she suddenly realized that her tears were only for herself—that no one else could sense her sorrow or feel her pain—she understood how meaningless it was to cry any longer.

When no one cares, even weeping becomes unnecessary.

She wiped her tears, changed her clothes, and nearly collided with Ke Wenxue and Yin Xiang at the doorway.

Ke Wenxue looked flustered and quickly asked if she was okay.

That simple, polite concern unexpectedly warmed Xu Miyu’s heart. She smiled, said she was fine, and walked away.

Once inside the locker room, Ke Wenxue and Yin Xiang huddled together, whispering.

“Did you hear that just now? Sister Xu said, ‘Are you really trying to drive me to my death? Do you have to push me so hard for another woman?’—What do you think she meant by that?” Ke Wenxue asked, her eyes wide.

“I think it means exactly what you’re thinking,” Yin Xiang replied.

“Right!” Ke Wenxue clapped her hands, eyes still wide. “You also think that scumbag and his mistress are bullying Sister Xu again, don’t you? That wretched scumbag, actually trying to drive her to death for another woman! Even though I’m not that close to Sister Xu, a scumbag like that deserves to be cursed to death a thousand times over!”

Yin Xiang sighed in agreement. “To be honest, I think Sister Xu is both pitiful and a bit weak. With the other woman already confronting her like this, I can hardly stand to watch.”

Ke Wenxue clapped and stomped her feet. “Exactly! I’ve been unable to bear it for a long time too! I used to think Sister Xu was neglected because she’d lost her looks, but yesterday I saw her after she’d freshened up—wow, she’s actually really beautiful! Is her husband blind? She’s just too thin and worn out right now. With a little care and some energy, she’d be quite attractive!”

Yin Xiang thought for a moment and said, “How about this—after work tonight, let’s take Sister Mi Yu to get a facial.”

Ke Wenxue nodded eagerly. “Great, it’s settled then!” After a pause, she suddenly pointed at Yin Xiang and asked, “Wait, you opportunist, why are you so kind-hearted today? You never do anything without a benefit. Tell me, did you get some advantage from Sister Xu in private?”

Yin Xiang swatted Ke Wenxue’s hand away. “Stop pointing or I’ll break your finger and turn you into the Nine-Fingered Beggar. What advantage could I possibly get? I’m just as angry as you are, seeing a scumbag bully someone honest.”

After calming Ke Wenxue’s curiosity, Yin Xiang couldn’t help but remind her, “Let’s keep the plan to take Sister Xu for a facial between us, don’t tell anyone else.” She was actually afraid that Ke Wenxue, with her big mouth, might let it slip to Zhang Cailu.

If that happened, her private tip-off to Xu Miyu might be exposed.

Ke Wenxue immediately agreed, “Okay! I don’t want that status-obsessed Luo Qingping to know anyway. I definitely don’t want to bring her along.”